Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts

08 October 2009

Indigenous Day of Remembrance

Indigenous Day of Remembrance

Sunday, October 11 2009, 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Memorial Service

Host: NYC Indigenous Community and beyond

Sunday, October 11, 2009
1:00pm - 5:00pm

Merchants Gate in Central Park
(across from Columbus Circle- 60st. & Broadway)

Manhattan, NY

*This event is endorsed by;
The United Confederation of Taino People
and
The Bohio Atabei Caribbean Indigenous Women's Circle

Location: Merchants Gate in Central Park (across from Columbus Circle- 60st. & Broadway) Manhattan, NY

Contact: 6464065916 or iukibuel@yahoo. com

30 November 2007

Taíno Curricula: A World of Opportunity

To satisfy NYS core curriculum standards for Social Studies in The Western Hemisphere: Latin America, the 5th grade classes I am working with discuss Taíno culture as a way to chronologically kick off their year-long investigation of Hispaniola. But the cultures, geographies, and histories of the Taino people are so strong and varied that it's easy to imagine a Taíno investigation as part of a Global Communities curriculum, or a point of comparison for studying other indigenous "American" cultures in an early American history unit.

The more I talk with Taíno cultural experts around the city, the more I hear echoes of the same sentiment: it's awfully exciting to find out that Taíno culture is increasingly becoming a part of the curriculum in New York City public schools! The people I've worked with so far - from museum educators to performing artists - have all been warm and genuinely enthusiastic about introducing students to the richness of pre-Columbian Taíno culture. The Taíno Indians, before Columbus, inhabited much of the Caribbean including the Bahamas, present-day Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola. I get the sense that the community in New York is close-knit - people sharing similar interests and a passion for shining light on notoriously underrepresented indigenous peoples. Connecting with that community is an educator's dream. One person refers you to another, and soon enough a bevy of cultural resources seem to appear. The Voice of the Taino People blog is a vibrant living document that compiles news and cultural events relating to Taíno peoples in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

And the Taíno legacy is so alive in New York City today! To so many students of Caribbean descent (and there are many in New York's schools), a Taíno artifact is not just a dusty museum relic but something with familial, personal significance. Maybe a student recognizes that wooden device from his grandmother's kitchen. Another realizes that the music she grew up listening to in 21st century Brooklyn actually pre-dates Columbus, and the instruments are, miraculously, the same. On a recent trip to the National Museum of the American Indian (also raved about by my co-blogger Margot), I was tickled to see so many students recognizing traditional Taíno artifacts as household goods. This surprising bridge, between contemporary life in Brooklyn and indigenous daily life on Hispaniola, would not have come nearly as alive without our full investigation of Taíno culture.

Posted by Evan O'Connell on November 28, 2007 at 08:24 PM
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15 September 2007

William Ruiz: Taino Drummer


Readers may be interested in visiting the page of Taino drummer, William Ruiz, at www.williamruiz.com. Based in New York, William Ruiz has been documented for presenting the 12 tongue modern Log drum and Tribal drum set along with various percussion instruments. His Log drum is a modern version of the Taino - Mayahavau and the Afro-Puerto Rican "Cua" of Loiza. It is known by many different Indigenous tribes worldwide by various other names. Ruiz has appeared on CNN, and has been interviewed on radio stations in New York City in connection with this drum performances and efforts to preserve and revive Taino drumming.

31 May 2007

Garifuna Press Release: NYC Shooting

Garifunas in the Bronx Denounce the shooting of an innocent man

Killer Cop must face justice FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2007

Contacts:

Mirtha Colon Jose Francisco Avila

(718) 402-6452 (917) 783-5298

NEW YORK– Various leaders of New York City’ Garifuna Community, met last Friday to discuss the death of their fellow countryman Fermin Arzu, 41, who was fatally shot by Officer Raphael Lora on Friday night, May 18th.

The leaders in attendance approved a resolution condemning the killing and demanding a full investigation into the matter. “We are not going to tolerate the abuse of our brother’s civil and human rights, while we express our deepest sympathy and support to the Arzu family,” said Mirtha Colon, president of Hondurans Against AIDS, organizer of the meeting. According to published reports, police sources say Officer Raphael Lora thought Arzu was going for a weapon in his glove compartment, but no gun was found. Police say Lora fired five times, striking Arzu once in the back and piercing his heart.

Mr. Arzu – a father of six originally from the Garifuna village of Tornabe in his native Honduras, was a building porter and musician, who has been described as a responsible, hard-working man who never had problems with the police, and who was under the emotional stress of caring for his fiancé, whom he had picked up from Bronx Lebanon hospital, just a few hours earlier, where she had undergone a mastectomy. According to Celso Castro, “We cannot afford to let the media discredit an honest man’s memory and we stand in solidarity with his family.”

The Garifuna community is outraged as to why an unarmed man had to be gunned down rather than recording his license plate and fine him for the alleged traffic violation. This is a senseless killing by someone who’s supposed to protect the community.

Read more by clicking here.

23 February 2007

Third Annual Garifuna Community Forum 2007 in Bronx, New York

This year, GAHFU, Inc. is bringing the 3rd Annual Garifuna Community Forum to the Bronx, New York at the Charles R. Drew Educational Center at the NEW VENTURE SCHOOL building complex. The event will be all day Saturday, April 14, 2007 with special guests speakers and cultural presentations.

http://www.garifunaheritagefoundation.org/264.html